In the world of interior design, you may find the terminology used a little like a foreign language. From design styles and movements to painting and decorating trends, as well as patterns and textures, each term carries its own significance and contributes to the overall aesthetic and functionality of a space.  Whether you’re a seasoned designer, a homeowner embarking on a renovation journey, or simply someone with a keen interest in the world of interiors, this guide aims to decode and define the key terminology used in interior design. Different design styles explained Art Deco: Origin ..read more

If you’re lucky enough to find a house with its original sash windows, treasure them. This blog answers all your questions about sash windows and provides five benefits of choosing secondary glazing when you want to restore or improve them. What is a sash window? A sash window is made of one or more movable panels, or ‘sashes’.  The frames holding the glass sashes slide open and close in grooves. They usually slide vertically, hung on cords or chains and are counterbalanced by metal weights housed in a box frame.  Their clever design makes sash windows more sophisticated than regular ..read more

The Victorians elevated the humble fire pit – essential for cooking and heating the home – into the most important feature of each room, including kitchens and bedrooms, with the drawing room hearth becoming the burning heart of the home. The Victorian era heralded the Industrial Revolution and it was a period of fast-paced change. There were many elements that helped shape and style the look of domestic fireplaces. Here the specialist home insurance experts at Adrian Flux outline the most important ones. There were, essentially, two styles of Victorian fireplace  Early Victorian fireplac ..read more

The Victorian era was an age of discovery, development, innovation and invention. This blog explores 10 inventions that transformed domestic life during the Victorian era. Surprisingly, all of these inventions are as useful today as they were back then. 1. The telephone (1876) The word “telephone” was first coined in 1844. The telephone was a strange machine that put actual spoken words into telegraph messages.  It wasn’t until 1876 that the first successful transmission of clear voice via a telephone was achieved by the Scottish inventor living in America, Alexander Graham Bell.  Th ..read more

Most of us love the summer, but with temperatures pushing 30 degrees and the weather seemingly getting hotter for longer each year, we can quickly begin to wilt. This blog provides nine tips on how to beat the heat in your Victorian home.  1. Close the curtains When the mercury starts climbing, your first impulse may be to fling open the curtains to let the sunshine in, but that will, in effect, turn your home into a greenhouse and intensify the heat. Keep your curtains or blinds closed during the day.  2. Create an icy breeze To make your room fan more effective, place a bowl of icy ..read more

Broadly speaking, ‘period properties’ were built before World War I using a wide variety of materials, styles and construction methods. Some of them are particularly prone to damp problems.  During Queen Victoria’s reign, there was something of a house building explosion as workers migrated from the countryside to live in towns near the new factories that sprang up as a result of the Industrial Revolution. Most homes were built with solid walls which can quickly develop condensation problems as they present large cold surfaces.  Where the original render failed, these exterior walls ..read more

Patterned tiles, or tiles making up patterns, were mass-produced by machine during the Victorian era and were hugely popular. They were hard-wearing but gave a distinctive look and style that retains its popularity today. Both the Gothic Revival and Arts and Crafts movements favoured decorative floor tiling. You can read our blog to find out how to get the  Arts and Crafts look in your home or this one to discover how to furnish your home in the Gothic revival style.  A tile manufacturing revolution The industrial revolution saw the introduction of factory-manufactured tiles for the ..read more

It’s difficult to replicate a historic Victorian paint finish in your home. That’s because Victorian paint surfaces were uneven in colour and texture owing to the topcoat glaze and brushes which left their mark on the painted wall.  The pigments used in paint made before 1875 were coarse and were mixed through the paint by hand.  They loved a glossy finish in grand Victorian homes Dry pigments were ground in oil to form a paste, which was then thinned with oil and turpentine to create a liquid ready for application. It was the oil that created the glossy surface so loved by the Victo ..read more

When we think of Victorian Homes, our minds instantly wander to beautiful architecture with inspiration drawn from a variety of styles. However, in reality, some aspects of Victorian buildings are nothing much to write home about.  Here the Victorian Home insurance experts at Adrian Flux reveal the good, the bad and the ugly bits of Victorian homes.  The good bits of Victorian houses There are plenty of positives for living in a Victorian home. 1. High ceilings In comparison to modern houses, many Victorian properties feel as if they were designed for giants.  2. Sash windows If ..read more

An easy way to spend a small amount on making a big difference to the Victorian vibe in your house is to hunt for antique glass that harks back to the era. From cake stands to fruit bowls, cream jugs to drinking glasses, Victorian pressed glass can be picked up in charity shops and car boot sales for pennies and can be used in a whole host of ways to bring some period charm to your home.  Pressed glass made products cheap and accessible Before the 1820s, glass was incredibly expensive and was only used by the upper classes as glass vessels had to be blown individually. When  pressed ..read more